Page 79 of By the Flames of Her Fury

The air shifted. The sound of rushing water grew louder, and wind picked up speed, blowing blonde strands of hair in my face. We all turned to the golden waves as the whirlpool spiraled more and more violently.

A dozen figures poured from the vortex in a flash of light. They rushed onto the shore and fell to the ground as we had, then righted themselves. At first I thought it was more of the skeleton guardians, but then I saw their distinct human features as they faced us.

They parted down the center to reveal a man. Pale skin, mane of black hair, a ribbon tied around his eyes. At my side, Everett froze.

Even with a ribbon covering his eyes, it was as if this man’s gaze was trained on mine. Searing, burning, needling its way down deep.

With a tilt of his head, Malek Mortep smiled.

37

Everett

Vera launched through the sand, flames dancing off her wings. “What the Fates is she doing?” Starke yelled behind me.

I whirled to face him. “Get back. Get the others off this beach, now.”

He bristled. “I don’t take orders from⁠—”

“Do you know who that is?” I roared, stepping until I was inches from his face. “You have no magic here, Starke. You’re out of your depth. By all means, run out there and get yourself killed. See if I care.” I stabbed a finger behind me toward Vera. “But I have a feeling she will. So get. Back.”

Starke’s features reddened in anger, but he did as I asked. He and Odessa headed for the outskirts of the beach, where a few trees separated them from the ensuing battle.

“One of us should stay and protect them,” I said to Kieran and Tessa. “Make sure nobody gets past the line. Isn’t that what Nox would say?”

With a glance back at Odessa, Kieran nodded. “I’ll stay. You two, be careful.”

Tessa twirled her twin daggers around her fingers. “Let’s have some fun.”

Mortep’s followers surged forward, blades flashing in the light of Vera’s wings. Several of them converged on her, while the others ran at Tessa and me. Mortep stood where the water met the sand, arms extended with his black cloak fluttering in the wind, like some sort of twisted puppet master.

Tessa launched a dagger at one of the oncoming men. It embedded itself into his shoulder, but he barely flinched. He ran at her with the blade sticking out of him, hands reaching for her throat. She swiftly sidestepped him and slammed her fist into his jaw. His head reared back like a door coming off its hinge.

And then with a crack, it snapped back into place. Hollow, milky eyes stared at us. He raised his sword and struck at Tessa with more fervor than before, but his motions were jilted and unbalanced, as if he wasn’t in control.

I squinted back at Mortep to see his lips moving silently, blood trickling down his chin. Blood magic. A form of Alchemy prohibited in the Veridian Empire because of how uncontrollable and lethal it could be, if gone unchecked. I would bet anything he was controlling these men with it.

One of them threw a knife at me. It flipped blade over handle, and my instincts from training with the Ashen Order kicked in. I moved to the side, caught the blade midair, and flung it back at my attacker. It caught the top of his thigh.

Two more swung their daggers at me, and I barely had time to duck. My injured arm was screaming—I wouldn’t be surprised if I’d pulled the stitches again. But I ignored the pain and reached inside my chest for my well of Illusionist magic.

The world fractured. Where there had been one of me and Tessa, there were now five, each charging in a different direction. It was enough to make Mortep’s men hesitate. Three of them veered toward the wrong targets, slamming into each other as my illusions dissolved beneath their weapons. With the momentary reprieve, I turned my attention to Vera. She summoned her blade of lightning in one hand and shadow sword in the other—her signature weapons forged not of steel, but of her own magic.

My steps faltered. I was in awe of her graceful movements, the way flames licked off her arms as she raised her sword and brought it down in a golden arc, knocking two men flat on their backs. She battled four of Mortep’s puppets in a swath of shadows and lightning, delivering careful jabs to incapacitate but not kill.

She could slaughter them in a heartbeat if she wanted to. With a mere breath. But after being forced to murder in cold blood while being under Mortep and Scarven’s thumb, I knew she despised the idea of taking innocent lives. She was a master of beauty and intoxicating rage, but her fury answered only to her.

Yet even as her warning shots met their marks, her opponents barely reacted. Blood poured from their wounds as they charged again and again. Vera vanished from sight, striding and reappearing behind the line of attackers. Shadows exploded from her hands. Two men screamed as they were sucked into the black pit, then spat out across the beach. A line of phoenix fire formed between her and the others, cutting them off from Mortep.

Tessa and I worked our way through the remaining men around us, her with her jaguar claws and twin daggers, and me with a single good arm. I smashed the pommel of my sword into one of them, and Tessa shifted her hands into claws, swiping one man across the face.

Vera advanced on Mortep. “Did you miss me, little bird?” Mortep warbled in his soft, calculated voice.

I felt the wrath radiating from her. She threw out a hand, sending bolts of lightning straight at his chest, but his bloody fingers were already raised to his lips with another spell. Her lightning struck an invisible barrier around him and ricocheted to the ground, scorching the sand.

“I forgot how magnificent you were,” he murmured. “I can see it all, you know. Through them. They have been my eyes and ears as I tracked you down.”

Mortep lifted a hand and pulled. Five of his followers marched through the phoenix fire, flames catching on their clothes as blood dripped down their noses and eyes. Three of them hurled themselves at Vera, while two lunged for me. I tried to bat them away with the end of my sword, sending illusion after illusion to distract them.